By Dr. Dale A. Robbins Eph 4:11-16 (NKJV) “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; A Pastor is one of Christ’s five office gifts to the Church. Yes, pastoring is a gift... and a pastor happens to be a GIFT that God gives to a church. The term pastor comes from “shepherd,” one who guides and cares for a flock. Serving as a pastor is a remarkable and awesome blessing and privilege, but sometimes pastors can be the most misunderstood people in the church. Often their hours are long, the pay minimal, the criticism considerable and constant. Despite the joys of serving God, feelings of disappointment and discouragement can plague the best of them. However, here are 14 ways God can use you to become a blessing in his life, which also enhance your ability to receive from his ministry: 1. Roll up your Sleeves and Become a Part of the Team – Attend church faithfully and show that you’re eager to follow his leadership. This will bless your life and be a tremendous encouragement to your pastor. Look for opportunities to use your gifts and talents for the work of Christ. And become a soul winner. People all around us are lost in sin, dying and going to hell. Do all in your power to win them to Jesus Christ. Tell them what Christ has done for you and what He can do for them. “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20) 2. Be Openly Responsive - Nothing excites a spiritual leader like seeing people respond to the preaching and teaching. Show him that you’re listening, and even say “Amen” once in a while. Not only will it make his day, but it may make the service shorter... as it is a proven fact that preachers often unconsciously repeat themselves when they feel they’re not connecting with their hearers. 3. Submit to the Leadership of your Pastor - The Bible places special emphasis on submission to spiritual authorities. The writer of Hebrews says, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” (Heb 13:17). We are also instructed to follow and imitate those spiritual leaders as they follow Christ. Follow the man of God who is following Jesus Christ as set forth in the Word of God. “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”(Heb 13:7) 4. Treat him with Proper Respect - Treat him with as much or more respect that you would anyone else in authority. Sometimes folks tend to think of him as an employee, instead of their spiritual leader. A pastor, however, is God’s appointed man, to help guide the soul of you and your family, and needs our love and respect. Express your respect to his authority by addressing him as “pastor” rather than by his first name, especially while on the church premises. “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, (13) and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake...” (1 Thes 5:12-13) 5. Pray, Pray, Pray for Your Pastor - You know how much opposition that you receive yourself... from the world, the flesh, and the devil... and be assured, your pastor receives much more than you. Pray for him every day, and ask God to shower your pastor with an abundance of love, hope, joy, faith, peace, power, wisdom, and courage. Pray for your spiritual leader’s maturity and growth in the faith. While you pray be mindful of this wise advice from the German writer, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “If you treat a person as he is, he will stay as he is; but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” As Paul wrote, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.” (2 Thes 3:1-2) 6. Commit to Stand with Him Through Tough Times - Be a REAL friend… not just a fair-weather buddy. A genuine friend is someone who remains steadfast with you regardless of what may come. He stands with you in the adverse circumstances of life, does not forsake you when others may abandon you, helps guard you when you are off guard, helps hold you accountable to your values, forgives and encourages you if or when you fail. 7. Toss out the Cookie Cutter - Don’t expect your pastor to do everything the same way the last pastor did. Trust God to use your spiritual leader to bring about relevant and effective ministry to the present need... and don’t stereotype him either with the strengths or short-comings of other spiritual leaders you’ve known. Let your pastor be himself. Your pastor is an imperfect human being, and is unique with his own distinct personality, gifts and talents. Not all pastors are the same, so don’t put him in a box and expect him to be a duplicate of others you’ve known. 8. Be Patient and Understanding - with your pastor, his mate, and his children. Do not expect your pastor or his family to be perfect, they are human too. A man of God has the same human tendencies that we all face, and so does his family. Let your pastor’s spouse be herself, and don’t place unspoken expectations on her to perform particular ministries or be like former pastor’s spouses. Just love them in finding their place. 9. Support him financially - so he can keep his mind on the work of the ministry. If a man cannot properly care for his family, he will be distracted from the ministry. It costs your pastor just as much to live as it does you, and in some cases much more because of added expenses …such as books, transportation or the way he is expected to dress. “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” (1 Tim 5:17-18) 10. Give Him the Benefit of the Doubt - Support your pastor even when he can’t publicly explain why certain decisions or actions have been made. Oftentimes, to protect the privacy of others, pastors and leaders frequently cannot disclose everything publicly... and professional ethics sometimes demand silence over issues that are very sensitive. If a tough decision takes place, support your pastor and avoid the criticism that usually comes along with such situations. 11. Knock off Behind-His-Back Criticism - Ministers, as well as virtually all public authority figures, are often the subject of incessant criticism. If there is a legitimate matter that concerns the leader, it should be addressed to him personally… but criticism behind one’s back certainly doesn’t help them, and when distributed about can cause a lot of harm to a leader’s reputation and credibility. 12. Squelch Gossip and Bad Mouthing - Do not speak against or listen to gossip or slander about your pastor. If you hear negative comments, respond with a positive one. If misinformation is being spread, correct it with the accurate information. Or, if people are gossiping, just walk away. The Apostle Paul said, “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.” (1 Tim 5:19) 13. Look for opportunities to encourage him - Tell him when he has helped you. Ephesians 4:29 teaches us to says things that edify, and you minister grace to your pastor whenever you tell him how he has helped you. He will be a more effective, dedicated servant of God if you give him some feedback on his ministry to you (see Prov. 3:27). It will also be very encouraging if you tell your Sunday School teacher, spouse, and your children how they have helped or been a blessing to you. Praise doesn’t cost – but it pays tremendous dividends – in the home, in the church, in the school and on the job. And be sure to recognize your pastor and his spouse for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. It is not always necessary to give gifts, but to be remembered on these special days is an expression of your love and encouragement. 14. Stay focused on the big picture - The big picture is JESUS... to love, forgive and seek to bring souls into the Kingdom of God. Don’t get weighed down by church politics, nonsense, offenses or whatever else goes on, but keep your focus on Jesus and on what the church and the pastor are really all about! Link to original post - http://www.victorious.org/blesspastor.htm
There was some youngsters outside my house Skateboarding recently and it just brought back memories of how I used to be a die-hard Skater... Although I never made it to the professional level lol, as a child I NEEDED that positive alternative.. I grew up in Compton SURROUNDED by gangs & killings, but because I was a Skater, all I wanted to do is Skate.. nothing else! ..... And this was before the Lil Wayne's, Pharell's and TK's picked up the Skateboard so it wasn't even popular to the black culture.. (all we had was Kareem Campbell!) .... So although I was being made fun of for doing Kickflips & Boardslides, that kept me out of PRISON! so I thank God that He gave me an interest in Skateboarding bcuz it kept me out of trouble....
TIP: Your children WILL be influenced by something, but as the parent, you have the power to CHOOSE what they're influenced by ....... Give them a POSITIVE alternative ..... God bless! It's amazing how Death allows our minds to remember God... Our hearts be so sensitive to the Lord .... But just a WEEK later, we harden our hearts & go RIGHT back to our SAME Sinful ways ...... I'm saying "We" because I was right there TOO before I really gave myself to God ...... But what is it that causes us to ignore God?? What is it that causes us to be so distracted with the cares of this life that we don't stop to talk to God at LEAST 1 time a day in Prayer?? ...... What is it that's keeping us so busy that we can't make it to Church on Sunday?? ........ the answer is SATAN!
SATAN causes us to ignore God... SATAN causes us to be so distracted with the cares of this life that we don't stop to talk to God at LEAST 1 time a day in Prayer... SATAN is keeping us so busy that we can't make it to Church on Sunday ....... And the only thing that seems to open our eyes is DEATH!! But if this is you and you want a change to take place in your life, sincerely Pray this Prayer out loud.. say "Lord, help me to love You... remove the scales from my eyes so that I may see the tricks of the enemy... Bless me with your Wisdom God, make me Wise... help me to Obey & Serve You God ... In Jesus' name I Pray, amen" And God will do the rest .... I love you (reader)! Meet you at the Gates of Heaven, God bless! Why does it take for bad stuff to happen to get us to remember GOD .... Why do we have to be rescued from distress all the time... When are we going to know & REMEMBER that when we're on the devil's playground, we give him rights to do as he pleases ........ When are we just going to Love GOD ....... He's not asking us to Obey Him bcuz He's "bossy".. He's trying to PROTECT us because the devil is as a roaring Lion constantly seeking whom he may devour! (1 Peter 5:8)
GOD is our Father, our Parent ... constantly looking out for our best interest. If your Parent says "don't play in the street", it's not because your Parent is a "hater" or "boring" or don't want you to have any "fun", but it's because they know the DANGER that awaits you! So let's Obey GOD for our OWN safety .... amen? GOD bless! So many people walk in hatred, unforgiveness, etc. but the truth is.. we never know when it's our time to go ..... Don't die with that on your heart ..... Get it right with GOD!
Let's begin to put some ends to grudges .... They're not worth it, trust me, I KNOW! I held a grudge with my BLOOD-Brother for 5 years!! For 5 LONG years, we didn't even speak.. and we lived in the SAME house! .... Honestly, I hated my brother .... I know what it feels like to hate ... But within that 5 years, I had SOO many nightmares that he died, and I would wake up sad ... That's not what I wanted, but I never made the effort to end the feud ..... It wasn't until I allowed GOD into my life that this 5-year grudge was ended .... My heart was so hardened to apologizing, it took for GOD to completely break me before I could even open my mouth and speak to my brother ... One day, I stood up in church and asked my brother to forgive me and he did! All of my family wept right there because my grudge with my brother had caused so much pain and confusion in ALL of our lives, and it was finally over! Glory be to GOD! My brother and I have the BEST relationship now, GOD fixed it as if nothing ever happened... But that's 5 years I wasted when me and my brother could have been enjoying those 5 years! I waited YEARS for the perfect timing to come so I could talk to my brother & end the grudge... but it never came ... That perfect timing you're waiting on to end a grudge may NEVER come .... But God promises to be your 'very present help' .... Pray, ask the Lord to help you, RECEIVE the Lord's help ..... go to that person and just open your mouth and start talking ..... The best way to start is by saying "I'm sorry" .... Have a good day (reader)! I love you, God bless. Some of us enjoy our Sinful life because we have nothing to compare it to.. Apples are better than Oranges, if you never had an Orange... get me? ...... But once you get tired of the devil whooping on you, you'll start running for God ... guaranteed!
See the problem is that some of us aren't tired of the devil whooping on us yet... He's been beating on us for so long, we think its NORMAL! John 10:10 says "...I have come that they may have LIFE, and that they may have it more ABUNDANTLY" ... You have NO business stressing!!!! You have NO business being depressed, pitiful, scared, miserable, etc. ... THIS STUFF AINT NORMAL! THE DEVIL IS A LIAR!!! Jesus Christ did not die so you can have a miserable life... When He got up, He got up with your PEACE, JOY and HAPPINESS!! .......... So stop looking around for help, your help is already here ...... and His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God ....... Seek HIM! God bless Not everything that happens to you will LOOK like God, but if God allowed it, just know that He has a PLAN! It didn't LOOK like God when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery & God allowed it, but God had a Plan to promote Joseph to the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt so he can sustain his brothers during the time of the famine! This is why 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "In EVERY THING give thanks..." because we never know what God is up to!
Another thing we want to take note on is Joseph's HEART... He didn't hold a grudge against his brothers for what they'd done ... Had he been BITTER, he would've missed all what God was trying to do ... So let's give thanks in all things & keep our hearts pure ...... God bless! |
About MeAs a writer, my objective is to provoke thought. As a minister, my objective is to encourage you to Christ. As a disciple, my objective is to do these things in love. Archives
July 2017
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